SC on Tuesday said that the plea of slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri’s wife Zakia Jafri challenging the SIT’s clean chit to then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots, has been adjourned many times.

The
Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the plea of slain Congress MP Ehsan
Jafri’s wife Zakia Jafri challenging the SIT’s clean chit to then
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots, has been already
adjourned many times and it will have to hear it someday as it fixed
April 14 next date of hearing.

Advocate Aparna Bhat, representing Zakia Jafri, submitted before a bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari that matter is contentious and sought an adjournment. The court replied that it has already been adjourned so many times, and it has to come up for hearing someday. “Take one date and make sure you all are available,” it said. Jafri’s counsel then urged the court to schedule the matter after Holi vacation.

Bhat
had earlier told the court that it should issue notice on the plea, as
the matter is connected with alleged conspiracy from February 27, 2002,
to May 2002.

As many as 68 people, including Jafri, were
killed at Gulberg Society on February 28, 2002. The incident occurred
after the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra killing
59 people and triggered riots in Gujarat. The SIT in February 2012
filed a closure report giving a clean chit to Modi and 63 others, which
included senior officials in the government, citing no concrete evidence
was found.

Zakia
Jafri moved the top court in 2018 challenging the October 2017 Gujarat
High Court order rejecting her plea against the SIT’s decision. She
contended her protest petition, filed challenging the SIT closure
report, was dismissed without examining the merit in her contentions.

In
October 2017, the High Court noted the SIT probe was apex
court-monitored. However, it partly allowed Zakia Jafri’s petition in
connection with further investigation on the matter. The High Court
noted the petitioner can move appropriate forum, including the trial
court, a division bench of the high court or the apex court seeking
further investigation on the matter.